Despite the increased cost of air travel over recent months, 55% of Irish holiday makers still plan to travel abroad this year, with only a quarter (24% ) halting any overseas travel plans due to high airfares.
The findings from a survey of 1,000 people nationwide carried out by iReach Insights on behalf of Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC (Aviva ), point to widespread public opinion that Ireland does not offer value for money as a staycation destination with almost half of Irish people (48% ) claiming “it’s extortionate to holiday here”.
The Aviva survey found that, overall, seven in 10 (70% ) believe Ireland does not compete in terms of costs when compared to travelling abroad.
“While inflationary pressures on air travel might make it an unattractive and/or unaffordable option for some people, our survey suggests it is unlikely to take a significant knock this year in terms of reduced demand. Whether people are determined to travel overseas for the sun and a change of scenery, or they are simply choosing a holiday they believe offers better value than those available in Ireland is unclear. Perhaps it is a combination of both. But it is apparent from this research that a significant portion of the population thinks that holidaying in Ireland does not offer good value for money.
“This appears to be particularly true for parents with dependent children – with more people aged 35-44 age group (57% ) likely to say that Ireland is unduly expensive,” Billy Shannon, Aviva explained.
The Aviva survey revealed that even erratic weather conditions and the potential for record-breaking heatwaves over the summer months are not enough to thwart vacationers’ plans:
Four in 10 (39% ) say that they do not plan to “take into consideration” the risk of extreme weather abroad.
Dubliners were most likely to travel regardless of the weather, with 1 in 2 (50% ) people stating as much - significantly more than any other region in Ireland.
Just over a quarter of respondents (28% ) will change their travel plans for fear of heatwave conditions
“Most households are eminently more cost conscious now than they were before and it seems that many people feel that if they are going to spend money, they want to be sure they are getting value for it. Overseas holidays have long been a mainstay of Irish family summers and it looks like this year will be no different,” Billy Shannon added.
Other key findings from the survey include:
Young people aged 18 to 24 have the largest appetite for travel with three-quarters (75% ) claiming that increased costs will not hamper their trips abroad.
Just 3% of the youngest age cohort (aged 18-24 ) said they had no desire to go overseas no matter the cost – significantly less than the national average of 21%.
More men than women (24% v’s 18% ) said they had no intention of travelling abroad regardless of price.
Women were more likely than men to try to avoid heatwaves and plan their holiday accordingly (33% v’s 21% )
32% of those aged 55+ believe there is value to be had by holidaying in Ireland compared to 22% of those aged 35 to 44.
Almost one-fifth (18% ) will not be able to afford a holiday at all this year.
